Development in the Chiltern Beechwoods Special Area of Conservation

The Chiltern Beechwoods Special Area of Conservation includes 9 separate sites in the Chiltern Hills and spreads across 3 counties.

The Special Area of Conservation (SAC) is an internationally recognised designation with habitats and species of significant ecological importance.

The relevant sites to Buckinghamshire are:

• the Ashridge Commons and Woods Sites of Special Scientific Interest
• the Tring Woodlands Site of Special Scientific Interest

As part of its emerging local plan, Dacorum Borough Council has found evidence that additional residential development in Chiltern Beechwoods Special Area of Conservation will lead to more visitors and an increase in adverse activities such as trampling, mountain biking and dog fouling.

To limit this impact, a habitat regulations assessment (HRA) is now needed for any development that results in an additional home within the 'zone of influence' of the Special Area of Conservation.

You can see the affected areas by viewing the zones of influence on dacorum.gov.uk.

We'll carry out an initial screening assessment of your application. This helps us decide if the development is likely to have a significant effect on the Chiltern Beeches Special Area of Conservation.

The assessment will consider the nature, scale and location of the development and we will carry out any relevant reviews.

The new restrictions will affect applications:

• for full planning permission
• for outline planning permission
• for reserved matters
• for prior approval / permitted development rights
• that are subject to appeal
• under section 73 of The Town & Country Planning Act 1990 (as amended)
• where there is a resolution to grant planning permission but where a formal decision has not been issued (eg subject to satisfactory completion of a legal agreement)

The Mitigation Strategy document sets out an interim mitigation strategy to avoid adverse public access and disturbance impacts from development on the integrity of the Chilterns Beechwoods SAC at Ashridge Commons and Woods Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). This interim mitigation strategy will be reviewed as part of the new Local Plan for Buckinghamshire.

Part A of this document provides common guidance for the planning areas of Dacorum Borough Council, Buckinghamshire Council, Central Bedfordshire Council and St. Albans City and District Council. More specifically it relates to land within and on the edge of the 12.6 kilometre zone of influence (the zone within which mitigation will be required for net new residential development or equivalent) that extends from Ashridge Commons and Woods SSSI.

Part B of this document provides further guidance that is specific to each of the authorities.

Read the Mitigation Strategy document (PDF, 2.50 MB)

Suitable Alternative Natural Greenspace is the name given to the provision of recreational space that allows residents of new homes to avoid additional ecological disturbance to Special Areas of Conservation.

For more information read the guideline document (PDF, 281 KB)

View a review of Suitable Alternative Natural Greenspaces (SANG) sites PDF, 594KB.

View the appendices for the SANG review PDF, 12.2MB.

For further detail and guidance we've published a list of frequently asked questions (FAQs) (PDF, 643 KB)

You can contact our planning service by emailing [email protected]